1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an improved silencer band for damping vibrations in a work piece during the machining thereof, and it relates more particularly to a new and improved coupling member for convenient attachment of a silencer band to the work piece prior to the machining process.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Vibration of a work piece during its machining is a condition which often affects adversely the quality of the machining process. When a work piece is being turned on a lathe, for example, interaction of the cutting bit against the surface of the work can induce vibration in the work. If the frequency of the induced vibration is approximate to the natural frequency of vibration of the work itself, a resonant condition will be established whereby the work will reach an extreme vibration rendering it virtually impossible to obtain a uniform, smooth finish on the surface which is being turned. The foregoing problem associated with vibration is of particular concern in the turning of brake drums and rotors wherein a smooth surface finish is essential to prevent the premature wear of the brake shoe or pad, respectively, when the drum or rotor is subsequently placed in service.
To eliminate vibration of a drum or rotor during a surface machining process, a simple but effective silencer band may be employed comprising a belt to which a plurality of lead weights have been fixed at spaced intervals along the length thereof. The silencer band may be wrapped around the drum or rotor at an out-of-the-way position with the lead weights held in intimate contact with the drum or rotor. Because of their lead composition, the weights absorb the vibration of the drum or rotor and thereby prevent the occurrence of a resonant vibration condition. The typical silencer band currently in use has a belt member constructed of a suitable rubber or other elastic material such that it is adaptable for use with work pieces of varying dimensions. The ends of the belt are provided with suitable coupling means in the form of wire-formed clip members which cooperate to secure the ends of the belt together. In one widely used form of a silencer band, a loop-like clip member is fastened to one end of an elastic belt by means of a strap which wraps around and is riveted to the end of the belt. The band is installed by stretching it around an outer surface of a drum or rotor and securing the clip end of the band over one of the lead weights located near the opposite end of the band.
A disadvantage of the silencer band of the foregoing type is that its manufacturing cost is attributable in large part to the assembly time and material cost associated with fastening the loop-like clip member to the end of the belt. In the example described, the strap is a separate prefabricated member which must be properly aligned with the clip member and belt end, either by manual or automated methods, before it is riveted to the end of the belt. The riveting procedure, itself, involves multiple manual or automated operations. Accordingly, it would be desirable to reduce the materials and assembly operations necessary to fasten a clip member to the end of a silencer band belt, as heretofore described, whereby the silencer band is more economically manufactured and can be sold at a less expensive price.